Improvement in spring-motors



J. B. POWELL.

Spring-Motor.

No. 219,015. Patented Aug. 26,1879..

J i\\ v UNITED STATES P TENT OF FI EQ JOHN B. POWELL, OFHPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO J. O. SHERBOBNE, OF SAME PLACE; SAID POWELL AND SHERBORNE ASSIGNORS OF ONE-SIXTH THEIR RIGHT TO JAMES- H. HARPER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING-MOTORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,015, dated August 26, 1879 application filed August 2, 1879.

invention being more specially directed to improvements in the spring-motor forwhich Letters Patent No. 176,203 were granted to the Shive Governor Company, April 19, 1876,

as the assignees of -D. Shive.

The main object of my improvements is to diminish the friction which has hitherto detracted seriously from spring-motors, and to overcome sundry practical defects in the Shive machine. v

These objectsI attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a front view of the motor, the barrels and springs being in section; Fig. 2, a detached perspective view of the barrels; Fig. 3, a detached view of the central arbor or seetional shaft, partly in section; Fig. 4, asectional plan on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a sectional plan on the line 3 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 6, atop view of the motor.

A is the central shaft, made in three sections, a, b, andc, the last of which is secured to the base B, and from the latter extend pillars (1, four in the present instance, for supporting the frame D, which, preferably, consists of two plates, 0 e, securely fastened together and to the pillars.

There are in the present motor two barrels, G G, the former containing two springs, h h, and the latter two similar springs, ii. These two barrels are snuglyfitted to and arranged to turn on the sectional shaft independentlyof each other,the sections a and b of the shaft being also arranged to turn'independently of each other, the lower end of the section a fitting into a socket in the section b, and the lower end of the latter in a socket in the fixed section 0. y

The inner end of the coiled spring hof the upper barrel is secured to the section a of the sectional shaft, and its outer end to the barrel, which is connected to the section b of the shaft by the coiled spring h, the latter being con nected to the section b of the shaft, and this section being connected by the coiled springi to the lower barrel, which is connected to the fixed section 0 of the shaft by the coiled spring '5. The two springs in each barrel are coiled in the reverse order. (Shown in Figs. 4 and 5.)

The above description, as far as the barrels,

springs, and sectional shaft are concerned, will. apply to the device shown in the aforesaid Patent No. 176,203, and the action of the springs and shafts will be the same as in said patented machine-that is, after all the springs have been wound up, the measure of power imparted to the section a of the shaft will be equivalent to that due to the recoil of one spring only,

While the continuity of the power will be proportionate to the number of springs employed. There are important departures, however, in my improved motor from that described in the said patent, as well as several improvements, all of which I will now proceed to describe. The most important of these is the placing of the central sectional shaft in a vertical position and causing the barrels to revolve horizontally.

It will be noticed, on referring to the said Patent No. 176,203, that the sectional shaft is horizontal, and that, being in sections, there must necessarily be great friction where one section turns in the other, as well as Where the barrels turn on the shaft, owing to the weight of the barrels and springs and the tendency of the shaft to sag under this weight. This defect is common to other spring-motors of the class to which my invention relates, and is overcome by placing the barrels above each other in the manner illustrated.

Another important feature of my invention is the mode of fitting the barrel to two sections of the central shaft in such a manner as to maintain them in proper line with each other. e

I It will be seen that each barrel is made in two parts, snugly fitted together at m, Fig. 1, and that a disk, j, extends across and forms a part of the upper half or arms may take the place of the disk, providing there be a central hub, forming the bearings of the journal at of the upper section, a, of the shaft, and the journal n of the section b.

It will thus be seen that each barrel has three lateral hearings on the sectional shaft one at the top on the section a, one at the bottom on the section b, and an intermediate hearing common to both shafts-a plan which insures the maintenance of the two sections of the shaft always in proper line with each other.

It may be remarked here that the barrel is made in two parts for the purpose of fitting it and the sectional shaft to each other, and that when the motor has been put together the two parts are essentially one barrel.

Each barrel is supported by a shoulder on the sectional shaft-'-the barrel G by the shoulder formed in making the journal at on the section b, and the lower barrel by a shoulder formed on the fixed section 0. The barrels are thus maintained at a short distance apart from each other, and friction, which would be caused by one barrel bearing on the other, is

' obviated.

On referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the recess in the top of the section b of the shaft has at the bottom a central conical recess for receiving the conical end of the seetion a, this recess being of such limited dimensions that, when the reduced portion t of the section a is in the recess in the socket, there will be a small annular chamber for maintain ing a sufficient supply of oil to keep the conical bearin g in a proper lubricated condition.

It will be understood that the reduced portion t of the section a fits snugly in the recess or socket p of the section b, so as to aid the barrel in maintaining the two sections in proper line with each other.

Precisely the same arrangement is observed in adapting the lower portion of the section b to the socket in the top of the fixed journal 0, as will be seen on referring to the lower portion of Fig. 3, where the annular oil-receptacle is shown in black.

A passage (indicated by a dotted line, y, in Fig. 1) may be made in each barrel, through which to convey oil to the journals m and n of the sections, the oil finding its way to the socket and to the oil-receptacle therein.

The motor is a self-contained machine, the base, which supports the shaft and barrels, also supporting the frame D, which carries the multiplyinggear 5 hence the machine is adapted for ready application to any purpose where comparatively smallbut long-continued power is requiredas, for instance, the driving of a sewing-machine.

It will not be necessary to describe minutely the train of multiplying-wheels which I have adopted and partly shown in the drawings, for different systems of gearing may be employed without departing from the main feature of my invention. It will suffice to observe that the motion communicated to the section a of the shaft by the recoil of the springs is transmitted by multiplying-gear to the vertical spindle '0, Fig. 6, which has its hearings in the frame D, and which is furnished with a disk, 10, having a slot for receiving the pin through which a Singer sewing-machine is operated.

The motor may be so placed beneath the table of the sewing-machine that the latter can be turned up on its hinges as usual, and when turned down its pin will at once enter the slot of the disk to, the motor being then started without any further adjustment.

The spindle 2, which is secured to and projects through the frame D from the section a of the central shaft, is furnished with a friction-disk, 3, to which are adapted two segmental friction-arms, 4, pivoted to the frame and connected by links to the arm 5, pivoted to the frame at 6, and connected thereto by a spring, 7, the tendency of which is to act on the arm 5, so as to cause the segmental arms to embrace the friction-disk and stop the motor.

This device is preferably used when the motor is applied to a sewing-machine, the outer end of the arm 5 being so connected to the treadle that as long as the operators foot is pressed on the latter the springs of the motor will be free to recoil, the release of the treadle resulting in the application of the friction-arms to the disk by the spring 7.

Thewinding-up device'(shown in Fig. 6) consists of a shaft, 8, provided with a detachable handle, and geared to the spindle of one of the wheels of the train by bevel-wheels, a suitable ratchet being used in connection with the device, as in other spring-motors.

It should be understood, however, thatIdo not desire to restrict myself to this winding mechanism.

Although two barrels, each containing two springs, are shown, a machine with a single barrel may be. constructed for uses in which long-continued movement is not required, the number of barrels being increased as the desired length of time during which the motor has to operate without being wound up may suggest.

In some cases the motor may consist of an upper barrel, G, containing two springs, and

the upper portion of the barrel G, containing a single spring, in which case the said upper portion of the lower barrel must be secured to the base of the machine, the lower end of the section b of the shaft turning on the said base.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a spring-motor, of a vertical shaft made in sections, arranged to turn independently of each other, with a barrel containing two springs and presenting a central lateral bearing common to the joursubstantially as described.

barrel containing two springs and made in tions, and having journals m n, the bearings nals of two sections of the shaft, all substantially as described.

2. The combin ation, in a spring-motor, of two or more barrels, each containing springs, with a vertical shaft made in sections, and having shoulders by which the barrels are supported independently of each other on the said shaft,

3. The combination, in a spring-motor, of a two parts with a vertical shaft made in secof which are in the upper part of the barrel, substantially as described.

4. The. combination of a series of barrels, each containing two springs, with a vertical 

